Over 84% of women working in the construction industry feel they have been supported by their male colleagues in their career progression to date, with the majority (73%) reporting that there has been a significant, positive change in attitudes across the industry towards female workers in recent times.

According to a survey
carried out by the Construction Industry Federation, 85%
of women
currently working in the industry would recommend that younger female relatives
or friends explore construction as a career option.

But progress still needs to
be made in some areas.

72% of
survey respondents say that the construction industry has a difficulty retaining
female workers, with some respondents citing a lack of flexibility in working
hours for those (both male and female workers) with families as the main reason
for this, which the majority of respondents added was more of a societal issue
affecting women across many industries than just women involved in
construction.

50% of
respondents reported that they have experienced challenges regarding
welfare/toilet facilities on sites however, many said facilities have improved
greatly in recent years, while some issues persist on smaller sites and at the
beginning of projects.

Some
69% reported
that they felt they had been treated differently by colleagues in construction
because of their gender, with some suggesting that these differences were
positive i.e. their colleagues were less likely to raise their voices during
discussions and in general they were treated more politely than their male
colleagues, while others reported more negative incidents of ‘mansplaining’
during meetings and the perception of females as ‘bossy’ when outspoken,
particularly when it came to the older generation of male colleagues.

However,
73% of those
surveyed feel that the industry is welcoming to female workers, while over 78%
reported that
the construction industry is becoming a more diverse and inclusive workplace
for all, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity etc.*

As part of #BuildingEquality the Construction Industry Federation’s ongoing campaign to increase female participation and encourage greater diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, the CIF marked International Women’s Day by celebrating the achievements of women in the industry at an event in the Morrison Hotel in Dublin this morning.

In September 2018, the CIF
published the first Diversity and Inclusion Membership Guidance Document to aid
member companies in their efforts towards a more diverse and inclusive
industry.

Pat Lucey, President CIF and Regional Managing Director (Civils) with
John Sisk & Son said:

“The construction industry is beginning to see great change, companies
are moving in the right direction and working hard to make the industry a more
diverse and inclusive workplace for all. There is no doubt that
construction has traditionally been considered a male-dominated industry, but
it is time to change that perception and to an extent that reality; not because
it currently suits us to do so due to the skills shortage the industry is
experiencing, but because it is the right thing to do. Promoting greater
diversity is the right thing to do for efficiency, for creativity, for
innovation and for a wider perspective.

We cannot afford to lag behind other industries any longer. We must look
to best practice and delve deeper into the barriers to entry or indeed
retention issues, which have affected or continue to affect our potential or
actual female colleagues for far too long.

The reality of the skills shortage we are now experiencing is that in
the short-term we need to recruit qualified women from Ireland, internationally
and the Diaspora for particular roles in the industry and into management in
our companies.

And in the medium to long-term, we need to recruit more women generally,
because if we don’t millennials, both male and female, who do not just want
diversity in the workplace but have come to expect it, will not enter the
industry and those who do will not stay.

Improving diversity within the industry is not only a way to increase
the available talent pool, it is also widely recognised that a more diverse
workforce produces better outcomes across the board, particularly when it comes
to working on major team projects.

And when we do get people in, we have got to care for them. Facilities
should be modern and working conditions must reflect 21st century
standards and expectations for both male and female workers.

Measures to tackle the long work hours and travel distances, which is
often a feature of work in the construction industry must also be tackled, to
better the well-being of workers of all genders.

We must Build Equality to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity
to enter and build a sustainable career in construction.”

For more information on the CIF’s Building Equality campaign including
blogs from a variety of female role models working in construction and the
latest #BuildingEquality videos please see www.cif.ie/building-equality

*Survey carried out between Monday 25th February 2019 and Monday 4th March 2019.